MORRO CASTLE. 
67 
THE MORRO, WITH CABANA IN THE DISTANCE. 
duced to ashes and three warships were sunk at the mouth of the har¬ 
bor to prevent entry by the British. 
The Englishmen made a second landing at Chorrera, east of the city, 
and took the fort there. They carried Cabanas Hill, established them¬ 
selves on the heights commanding the Morro, and set about the build¬ 
ing of batteries and equipping them from the fleet. Much of the hard 
work was done by negro slaves brought from Martinique and Antigua 
for the purpose. The task was completed by the end of June, and on 
the 1st of July the fleet on sea and the batteries on land opened fire on 
Morro. Captain Velasco responded, and with grapeshot and ball forced 
the ships to retire. For two weeks active fighting continued. Again 
and again the Spanish fortress was silenced, only to draw reinforce¬ 
ments from the ships in the bay, and to renew the fight on the morrow. 
La Punta and La Fuerza, the fleet and the floating batteries in the 
harbor trained their guns on the British. The besieging force suffered 
intensely from the drought, the excessive heat, deprivation and hard¬ 
ship, and fevers contracted at Martinique; at one time 5,000 soldiers 
and 3,000 seamen were unfit for service. Their sufferings were aggra¬ 
vated by the scarcity of water. 
By the 14th the whole front of Morro exposed to attack was in a 
state of complete ruin; but the Spaniard still held out. Sapping 
operations were begun, and by the 27th a mine had been completed 
under the seaward bastion and was ready to be charged. Lord Albe- 
